Konami Takes on EA's Rock Band to Reclaim its Revolution-ary Status

Konami has announced that it plans to release another instalment in its music-based Revolution series. This one will serve as a challenger to Guitar Hero and Rock Band - it will bear the name Rock Revolution.

Konami is opting to lead with the drum experience, selling PS3 and Xbox 360 versions with “the most realistic drum peripheral on the market”. There will also be Wii and DS versions, but the Wii version will use the the Wii Remote and Nunchuk for “an air-drum and air-guitar experience”, while the DS version will make use of the touchscreen and stylus.

That's not all, however. The game will also feature the option to play bass and lead guitar. As with Guitar Hero and Rock Band, the game will offer additional tracks not included on the game disc via download on the Xbox 360 and PS3.

Unlike Guitar Hero and Rock Band, however, it is being reported that all the tracks included will be covers rather than originals. The game was previewed at an event in San Francisco, with songs on offer there ranging from the likes of Twisted Sister (We're Not Gonna Take It), to Avril Lavigne (Sk8er Boi). There were also a handful of tracks such as Blitzkrieg Pop by The Ramones and Are You Gonna Be My Girl by Jet that have already been seen on Rock Band.^†

"Rock Revolution will be the most innovative and realistic rock game to hit the market, that will provide a quality drum peripheral and music that players will appreciate", Anthony Crouts, VP of Marketing for Konami boldly said. "As the originator of music-based games, we are dedicated to bringing fans a truly pre-eminent music experience. With Rock Revolution, we put the emphasis on the drum kit, delivering an experience unlike any other."

OK. Putting the drum kit at the forefront is a smart move, given the existence of Guitar Hero. Konami also boasts a pedigree in the music genre, claiming to have created it with Dance Dance Revolution and its matt peripheral and beaten Activision to the rock game punch by six years with Guitar Freaks. But... launching against two successful series with a game that at least appears to offer little to differentiate it and offers covers rather than originals doesn't seem like the brightest idea in the world.

Konami isn't the only company to attempt to challenge Guitar Hero and Rock Band, of course. THQ has weighed in recently with Battle of the Bands.

SPOnG looks forward to seeing how Rock Revolution shapes up against the competition.

^{†Source: GameSpot}